Blizzard sues ValiantChaos MapHack for copyright infringement

Blizzard Entertainment is suing the makers of a popular StarCraft 2 hack for copyright infringement.

The ValiantChaos MapHack, a cheat that allows players unfair omniscience over every match and is still on sale for about $60, has generated tens of thousands of dollars in sales for its creators.

StarCraft 2, an esport with a huge competitive community, suffers greatly at the hands of cheaters, Blizzard’s representatives assert, and the hack’s programmers ruin the game for all players and Blizzard itself.

“Defendants create and sell their unlawful software products with the knowledge that they are facilitating and promoting users to infringe Blizzard’s copyrights, to breach their contracts with Blizzard, and to otherwise violate Blizzard’s rights,” the complaint reads.

Blizzard says that the programmers use their work without permission and breach contract by violating the game’s terms of use.

ValiantChaos.com, the program’s website, isn’t limited to StarCraft. The site openly offers various methods of cheating in games like Hearthstone, World of Warcraft, League of Legends, and Diablo. Cheats for these games aren’t particularly hard to find. A quick Google search reveals other websites like HackForums.net that sell a wide variety of similar programss.

“Among other things, Defendants irreparably harm the ability of Blizzard’s legitimate customers to enjoy and participate in the competitive online experience of StarCraft II. That, in turn, causes users to grow dissatisfied with the game, lose interest in the game, and communicate that dissatisfaction,” Blizzard wrote in the complaint.

It added that the hack harmed “Blizzard’s reputation [and] the value of its game.”